About me

Miriam Sherman

Dear visitor

A very warm welcome to you and thank you for taking the time to visit my website.

My name is Miriam Sherman and I am a certified Straightness Training Instructor by Marijke de Jong and Seat Instructor by Hanna Engström. I call myself a coach rather than a trainer as my approach is very individual. I specifically address his and his horse’s needs.

"Communication comes first"

What is the current state, what do you want to change, learn, where do you want to go?

There is no pattern F for me. Each horse owner / horseman as well as the respective horse, is unique and requires different, individual approaches, therefore I only teach individually and not in groups. I also find it important to be able to work live and in direct contact with horse and rider, because we feel, we experience horses. I prefer to be present, in the same moment with horse & rider, in order to be able to grasp the situation in its subtleties more directly and to be able to convey appropriate impulses, actions-reactions just as directly without delay. A positive and respectful atmosphere is an important prerequisite for learning with joy and without shyness. Communication is paramount to even being able to learn something new with a horse. We often misunderstand our horses because we feel and act from a human perspective, but not from the horse’s perspective. For this reason it is important for me to understand the horses and to know their natural behavior and needs. And this is before we ask something of them that they probably neither understand nor can physically perform.

"The horses should keep their dignity and pride".

My goal is to make horses and riders happy. I want to help build a healthy horse/human relationship that makes horse training interesting and fun. The horses should be allowed to keep their dignity and pride and gladly seek the company of their human. In my opinion, this is the only way to achieve a true, honest and sustainable horse training, starting in advance and continuously getting involved with the horse and learning to understand it.

Without the theory, the practice will always be uncertain

François Robichon de la Guérinière

Both are equally important and also have their fixed place with me. My motto is: I can best pass on fully what I have experienced and lived through myself. Because talking without doing is like theory without practice.

If you are interested in lessons, organizing a workshop or just want to have a first look, possibly with one of my school horses, I am here for you.

About me

I grew up with ponies as a young child. My parents, who were quite inexperienced with horses, bought my older sister a Welsh pony, and the second followed very soon, as one cannot keep one alone, of course. My father built a nice little open stable behind our house and asked neighboring farmers for a few meadows. We quickly learned how to keep and care for horses properly, but how to train or ride horses appropriately was still in the stars for us.

As time went on, we grew more and more naturally with our horses, did a lot of orienteering and trail riding, and just loved the freedom and exploring nature with the horses. The need to experience freedom, nature and some adventure together with the horse remained over the years and even today, I still try to give this important aspect the necessary space.

2001

Everything takes its course

4 years old and raw, I acquired my Misfit, a Welsh Cob section D. Meanwhile my longtime companion is 24 years old and we have experienced a lot together. Being an original recreational rider, I spent most of my time in the outdoors, so my riding style wasn’t the best for years either. Especially in the beginning with Misfit I was quite inexperienced in training young horses and so we had our difficulties. Therefore I started to attend many courses and got knowledge and advice from different horse trainers, who taught according to Sally Swift (Centered Riding), Michael Geitner, Linda Tellington-Jones (TTEAM) and many more. Special attention is given in my development, the several years of intensive work in ST Mastery. Thanks to regular webinars, clinics with personal feedback and supervision from Marijke de Jong, I specifically deepened Straightness Training ® (ST) in all components (groundwork, lunging, handwork, riding and Liberty).

One particular point is that the methodology has implied in me an ever better understanding of the “why-how-when questions” in horse training. And through this, another important aspect has developed: clearer awareness of our actions with the horse.

All this helped me in my personal development to find harmony with Misfit.

2007

Academic horsemanship according to Bent Branderup

In 2007 I had my first contact with Academic Riding (AR) according to Bent Branderup and quickly things turned for the better. The principles of AR based on the old riding masters seemed clear and well-structured to me. As a spectator and once as an active participant I took part in several courses.

Since 2020, I have become more involved with Academic Horsemanship again and regularly attend online weekend seminars as a spectator.

2011

Home Study Course von Marijke de Jong

In 2011 I registered for the Home Study Course of Marijke de Jong. I was thrilled by the ease and harmony between horse and horseman. My goal was now set: to achieve exactly that, on horseback as well as from the ground.

2013

ST Mastery Course

In 2013, I was one of the first people ever to register for the ST Mastery Course, which features numerous instructional videos and learning materials to guide students step-by-step.

2014

ST Instructor Program

In 2014 I qualified for the ST Instructor Program and in 2015 went through a very intense but, in every way, also very educational time.

2016

Certification and licensing ST Instructor

In 2016, I became one of Marijke de Jong’s first certified and licensed ST instructors (Level III).miriam sherman coach fuer pferd und reiter ueber mich st instructor diploma

2016 - 2021

And “Action”

2016 to 2021, I worked and trained many riders and horses in private one-on-one lessons or multi-day workshops in Germany, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland. Likewise, I became a certified ST Evaluator, helping enthusiastic ST Mastery students internationally to the next level in their training through the specially designed ST Evaluation Program. Because of the pandemic, I gave more online coaching, which these days has proven to be the second best form of instruction, after live instruction.

2018 - 2020

Seat Instructor Certification

2018 – 2020, I completed with certification Hanna Engström’s seat training for instructors, Seat program 1 to Seat program 5.

miriam sherman coach fuer pferd und reiter ueber mich seat instructor 1 2 diploma miriam sherman coach fuer pferd und reiter ueber mich seat instructor 3 4 diploma miriam sherman coach fuer pferd und reiter ueber mich seat instructor 5 diploma

2020

Warwick Schiller, Performance Horsemanship

Since 2020 monthly participation in his online courses what has moved me to dive even more intensively into horse behavior. Through the numerous instructional videos and ‘how to’ guides, I was able to incorporate a great deal into my own training.

2021

Training courses

  • Regular lessons with Hanna Engström
  • Masterson Method Home Study Course
  • Active participation in the weekend course in Studen, Switzerland with an MMCP (Masterson Method Certified Practitioner).

miriam sherman coach fuer pferd und reiter ueber mich masterson method diploma

2022

Teaching under own logo

2022 I teach under my own logo to give more space to my horse & rider philosophy. To educate and develop oneself further, to expand one’s own portfolio in a meaningful way and to apply the knowledge and ideas thus gained for horse & rider is a positive drive. I am very open and interested in positive approaches and methods that can make the horse/rider life better. Continuously learning and being open to new things means a lot to me. That’s why I take lessons myself on a regular basis to educate myself and my horses. Likewise, I take part in various online courses to further develop myself didactically and practically. Of course with the goal to pass on my acquired knowledge and skills very gladly to my students & horses. The more horses and riders can benefit from a beautiful and fruitful togetherness, the more pleasure it gives me.

Scroll to Top